The Option Institute International Learning & Training Center® & Autism Treatment Center of America®

As our own lives began to change, and as we witnessed the transformation of our son, we found that others were increasingly drawn to what we had discovered.

In 1979, the classic best-seller Son-Rise was made into an award-winning NBC television movie, which has since been viewed by hundreds of millions of people worldwide. In response to the growing number of requests from families around the world, we began sharing our approach with others.

What had begun as a deeply personal journey gradually evolved into a way of helping other families who were searching, as we once had been, for a respectful and effective way to reach their children.

From this, we created The Son-Rise Program® — a method designed to support children with autism and other developmental challenges, based on the same principles of love, acceptance, and understanding that had guided us with our own son.

Over time, we also expanded our work to include The Option Process®, offering individuals and families a way to explore their beliefs, transform their experience, and create greater happiness and clarity in their lives.

In 1983, we co-founded The Option Institute International Learning & Training Center®, a place where people from around the world could come to learn, grow, and experience these principles firsthand. We also founded the Autism Treatment Center of America®, a division of The Option Institute®, dedicated to working with children and families using The Son-Rise Program®.

A new and expanded edition of Son-Rise, titled Son-Rise: The Miracle Continues, was published in 1994. It includes the stories of other families who, using The Son-Rise Program®, were able to reach their children in ways once thought impossible.

What began as a search for our own happiness and connection has continued to grow into a worldwide community of individuals and families exploring what is possible — for themselves, for their children, and for their lives.